In The Name Of Science
by SilverRogue
Summary: This is a story about Professor Membrane. The world seems to think he's a goodhearted man and caring father with humankind's best interests in mind. The world thought wrong. THE FINAL CHAPTER HAS BEEN POSTED! (Sorry about it being six months late and all)
1. The Captive

SilverRogue: This idea happened after a period of hating Professor Membrane for telling all those world leaders that Dib was crazy. Well, anyway, I don't own Invader Zim, even though I wish I did. I've never seen another fic with this idea used, but I'm sure more than one is out there. If you read and review one of my fics, I'll make sure to read and review one of yours.  
  
  
  
Dib struggled violently against the leather restraints holding him to the operating table. There was a bright light over him that hurt his eyes and made it nearly impossible to think. All he knew was that he had to get himself free before it was too late. Why did leather have to be so damned strong!? He struggled helplessly to escape it's grip.  
  
He could hear scientists quietly discussing something over in the corner, but Dib couldn't really make out anything they were saying, and he was too scared to care anyway. One of the scientists finally walked over and looked at Dib. The intense light behind the man made a dark silhouette, but Dib recognized the hairstyle. It was his father, Professor Membrane.  
  
"Dad" he cried, his voice full of terror, "Don't do this! Let me go! Don't let them do this to me! You can't let this happen! Nyah! Dad!" As frantic as his cries were, Dib knew he was wasting his breath. There was no way he could beg his was out of this. His father was MUCH too interested in his experiments to care about what became of Dib.  
  
"My poor insane son," Dib heard him mumble as he put a mask over Dib's face. Dib wanted to yell. Wanted to strike out. Wanted to escape. But all those thoughts melted away as the anesthetic gas took effect. He struggled to keep consciousness, feeling so helpless and alone... 


	2. The Beginning

A few weeks earlier...  
  
Boredom had settled in at the Membrane household. Dib watched with little interest as Gaz flipped through the channels.  
  
"I can't believe it! over 700 channels and there's absolutely NOTHING worth watching!" She snarled, practically crushing the remote.  
  
Dib couldn't help but roll his eyes, "It's daytime TV. What did you expect?"  
  
"I EXPECTED it would be at least a little more fun than skool!"  
  
Both Dib and Gaz had come down with some strange bug earlier that day. By lunchtime, all of the symptoms had vanished as mysteriously as they had appeared. Now both kids were stuck home alone with nothing to do, and Gaz was starting to get irritated with Dib even though he technically had done nothing wrong yet.  
  
She turned off the TV. "I'm going to get something to eat. Touch my GameSlaveII and I remove your hands." She stalked off into the kitchen  
  
It was obviously a good idea not to follow Gaz, so Dib wandered down the hall, going nowhere in particular. The door to his dad's lab caught his eye. Dib figured he might as well go in and explore a little. It wasn't often he was in their without his dad nearby. Besides, it wasn't like Dib had anything better to do.  
  
The security on the lab let Dib through without any difficulty because his dad had given him complete access. He began to poke around, looking at different files and experiments, trying to figure out what all the formulas were for. Most of them were pretty complex.  
  
Upstairs, Gaz was digging around in the fridge, looking for something even remotely edible. She finally scrounged up some old pizza that didn't have anything growing on it and a soda. She ate it quietly, wrinkling her nose slightly. Anchovies. Fish belonged in aquariums, not on pizza.  
  
Meanwhile, Dib had hacked his way into a file that had been passworded. He didn't like the idea of anything in his dad's lab being too secret to tell to Dib and Gaz. Unfortunately, the file was not willing to give up it's secrets so easily. After about half an hour of working, all he was able to discover was that it was about "Project Living Weapon" and that it MIGHT have something to do with him. He didn't have any clue what "Project Living Weapon" was. Oh well, he'd figure it out as soon as he got something to eat. He was starved.  
  
As he was eating some of the old pizza, he told Gaz that he had found something about Project Living Weapon, but he wasn't sure what it was.  
  
Gaz's mind started racing. Should she tell him? Was it safe? She knew very well what Project Living Weapon was, but she wasn't sure that Dib could handle that knowledge. She picked up her skull pendant and glanced at the ID number on the back. No, she decided, Dib wouldn't be able to deal with the truth.  
  
  
  
Zim couldn't believe it. He just couldn't. The stupid little dirt monkey had been too sick to come to skool on the day of a field trip, but not too sick to pester him and interfere with the mission. Right now, Dib was too busy gloating over the fact that he had gotten a picture of Zim without his disguise to notice the fact that a robotic arm was about to grab him from behind.  
  
Dib realized he had lost once again when it snatched the camera and crushed it. for a second, he realized that he was completely helpless to beat Zim on his own turf. Then it happened.  
  
Zim watched Dib give out a little yelp, double over, and fall to the ground. He tilted his head in confusion. Was there something wrong with the earth boy? Not that he really cared one way or the other, but he was curious nonetheless.  
  
After a few seconds, Zim walked over and looked at his unconscious foe. The Dib was very pale and weak looking. For the first time in a long time, it occurred to Zim how young his enemy actually was. The irkan equivalent of Dib's age would still be smaller than Gir.  
  
"Computer! Put the Dib Human outside!" Zim snarled as he turned back to his work. 


	3. The Discovery

Later that day, Dib continued to hack his way into the files, seeing if he could find out something, anything, about Project Living Weapon. For one thing, he was curious, not to mention the fact that he didn't even want to THINK about what had happened at Zim's house earlier.  
  
Success! The file finally opened completely! Dib read in horror about project living weapon...  
  
  
  
Project Living Weapon. A mission to see if it is possible to change a person into just that. A living weapon. If one or more of these super-human assassins can be created, they can easily be used for the Membrane Association Of Higher Science to seize world control.  
  
The first step was to inject Formula X into the first specimen, a woman by the name of Ivy Membrane. Due to an error in measuring chemical concentrations, the wrong amount was placed into her system and she quickly died as a result of blood poisoning.  
  
The second specimen, a young female by the name of Gaz Membrane, was injected during a routine visit to the doctor's office. After it was sure that it had been absorbed and was in effect, a scenario was set up to test the theories pertaining to this project.  
  
Using a special agent under the code name "Iggins", it was tested to see how the specimen would react to severe irritation. The experiment was a success. Formula X had given the subject several super-human abilities, most notably the ability to control weather patterns.  
  
To discover what exactly Formula X does in males, the third specimen, Dib Membrane, has recently been injected as well. It is unclear exactly how it is going to affect his systems, so he will soon be taken to one of the bigger labs for observation.  
  
  
  
Dib was in shock. Total shock. His own father was using him and Gaz as guinea pigs in some twisted experiment for world domination. Did Gaz even know what had been done to her? No matter, Dib thought, it's too late for her anyway. How much longer did he have before WHATEVER that formula did to him reveal itself? There was no way of telling... and there was no time to waste. Something HAD to be done!  
  
But what could he do? Dib couldn't stand the confusion and fear welling up inside him, threatening to turn into panic. Against Zim, Dib KNEW more or less what he had to do. He could handle it. but if his dad found out that Dib was onto him, he would try to finish the experiment quickly.  
  
Dib knew one thing for sure, and that was that he needed help desperately. But who would believe him? There were only two people who knew he wasn't completely insane, three if you really felt the need to count Zim's stupid little robot. But Gaz was already on the other side; she wasn't to be trusted, and the little robot wouldn't understand what was going on, at least not well enough to be of any real help.  
  
Dib winced, realizing that Zim was the only other option. The very thought of asking the alien for help went against every instinct Dib had. Besides, they were sworn enemies, what possible reason would Zim have for helping him? Pain shot through Dib's entire body and the floor seemed to disappear beneath his feet. It was happening again, more painful than before, but he DID manage to keep consciousness this time. That settled it. He was going to Zim for help. 


	4. The Plea

Gir was watching the Scary Monkey Show when the doorbell rang. Maybe the pizza humans were there with his chocolate bubblegum pizza! He happily skipped over to the front door and opened it, expecting to see the pizza guy or at least a leprechaun, but instead the Dib human was waiting outside.  
  
"HI!" Gir squeaked.  
  
"Uh, hi," came the Dib's nervous reply. His voice was kinda weak and his eye was all twitchy, but other than that he LOOKED pretty okay, "is Zim around?"  
  
Gir attempted to think for a second. Would master be mad at him if he let the Dib monkey in? Cupcakes were good. In fact, there were some cupcakes in the fridge! YAAAAY! Did humans like cupcakes? Only one way to find out.  
  
"Master's not here right now!" Gir squeaked happily, "Come on in!"  
  
the Dib human smiled nervously and stepped inside. Why was he coming inside again? Oh well. Gir knew he had been thinking about something important...  
  
"Why is the grass green?" He asked.  
  
"Uh," the Dib human stammered, "there's stuff called chlorophyll in it."  
  
"Why do birds fly?"  
  
"Because they have wings?"  
  
"Are dogs stupid?"  
  
"Some of them."  
  
"Do you like cupcakes"  
  
"Y-"  
  
"YAAAAAAY!" Gir yelled as he ran out of the room.  
  
Dib rubbed his forehead, feeling the beginnings of a MAJOR headache setting in. how could Zim STAND that little robot? It was so annoying! He briefly wondered where the little robot went, then decided that he didn't really care. It didn't matter in the long run, did it?  
  
Gir sat on the kitchen table, humming something that sounded like a mix of Linkin Park and "Happy Happy Joy Joy". Why had he come in here again? Goldfish were nice. Maybe he should get one some time.  
  
Back out in the livingroom, Dib jumped in surprise when Zim opened the door. The two foes stared at each other. Last minute, maybe-this-wasn't- such-a-good-idea, too-late-to-back-out-now thoughts bounced around in Dib's head. Zim just wondered what the hell his archenemy was doing sitting on his couch.  
  
"GIR!" he yelled "WHY IS THE DIB HUMAN IN HERE!?!?!" Zim figured that this whole problem was probably Gir's fault. In general, most things that went wrong were Gir's fault.  
  
"Zim, calm down" Dib said, feeling exasperated already. What had he gotten himself into? "I just want to talk to you. It's important."  
  
"Listen earth monkey!" came the acid reply, "I'm not falling for your foolish tricks of... FOOLISHNESS! Computer! Remove the intruder!"  
  
"Nyah! No! Please! I'm begging you! It's not a trick!" Dib knew he sounded hysterical, probably because he was. Zim was his last chance! If he couldn't get Zim to help, Dib would be completely on his own!  
  
Zim knew he would probably regret what he was about to do next, but he couldn't stand the pathetic look on the dirt boy's face. "Computer! I changed my mind! Restrain the intruder, but don't remove him!" several metal arms wrapped around the Earthanoid, holding him in place. "I'm listening," Zim said in what he perceived to be a dangerously quiet tone, "Talk."  
  
Dib heaved a deep sigh. Well, too late to turn back now. "I need your help." Zim's pupils got real small and he started to say something, but Dib cut him off. "Please, just let me explain!"  
  
Zim nodded and listened with growing interest while Dib told him the whole thing. This was too perfect. The weak little human worm baby was in very real danger and had no way out. A little chuckle started somewhere softly in Zim's throat, then grew progressively louder until his sides hurt and his whole body was shaking with maniacal laughter. It was just too priceless!  
  
Dib tried to swallow the lump growing in his throat. Why had he ever believed that Zim might help him? All he had managed to do was to give the alien dirtbag a good laugh.  
  
Finally, Zim got his laughter under control enough for him to speak. "Why," he said, still laughing a little, "would I want to help YOU?" Zim stood there waiting for his response, still giggling.  
  
Dib wrinkled his nose slightly. It was bad enough when girls giggled. Before he even realized what he was doing, Dib said "I can make it worth your time."  
  
That stopped Zim's laughter. What did the earth boy mean by that? "Worth my time?" he said, raising a nonexistent eyebrow.  
  
"Yeah," Dib said, clearly making it up as he went along, "If you help me, I'll leave you alone for a month."  
  
"Forever." Zim figured he might as well make his demands clear from the very start.  
  
"For a year"  
  
"Forever"  
  
"Forever" Dib surrendered with a sigh, looking at the floor. Things were NOT going as planned...  
  
Zim wasn't exactly sure HOW he was going to help Dib, but that wasn't important right now. If he helped Dib, that meant he could conquer this miserable planet faster and more easily. "Computer, put him down." The computer dropped the little earth monkey roughly. Dib started to climb to his feet, but let out a cry of pain and fell back to the ground, writhing in agony from another "attack". Zim watched with mingled amusement and smugness. When Dib was finally able to climb to his feet, Zim reached out his hand. Dib reluctantly shook it, obviously not entirely happy with the agreement.  
  
For some reason, Dib felt like he had just sold his soul. 


	5. The Experiment

SilverRogue: Are you liking the story so far? There's only one chapter left to do, but I've got a REALLY busy summer planned, so I might not be able to post it for a while. I'm sorry if it takes me a while.  
  
  
  
Dib laid on his back on the roof, looking up at the stars like he had done countless nights before. He had returned from Zim's lair only hours before, but it seemed like centuries. Pain shot through him again. This time it was worse than ever before. His whole body shaking, he curled up into a little ball, waiting for the pain to subside. It ended as suddenly as it began. Dib climbed shakily to his feet. That's when he saw it. The place where he had been laying was charred black. What the hell had just happened?  
  
"Son! What are you doing up there? Get down this instant!" he heard his dad shout. With a heavy sigh, Dib slid down to the kitchen. Much to his surprise, he didn't land in the sink like he normally did. Professor Membrane caught him before he landed in the soapy water.  
  
Before Dib could do anything else, his dad clipped something loosely around his neck, then set him down on the floor. It felt like a necklace. Dib picked it up and looked at it. It was a skull shaped tag with a little number on the back. Gaz had worn one just like it for as long as Dib could remember, but he had always thought she had bought it somewhere because she liked it. When Dib tried to pull it off, he found that it wouldn't fit over his head.  
  
"Dad! What IS this thing!?"  
  
"It's an ID tag for incase you ever get lost."  
  
"I'm not a dog! I don't NEED an ID tag!"  
  
"Shhh! Not now! I'm making... Spaghetti!"  
  
Dib growled in frustration and left the room. The cord for the little tag was itchy and uncomfortable, making Dib wonder if maybe he was allergic to something that was in it. Gaz started to walk past him, but did a double take when she saw the tag. She paused her game, turning to look at him.  
  
"So you finally got tagged?" she inquired, looking at the little skull.  
  
"Yeah, " Dib sighed, feeling stupid, "I always thought you wore that creepy thing by choice"  
  
"I'm forced to, just like you. You'll get used to the stupid cord... eventually." Gaz smirked a little. She couldn't help but enjoy some of Dib's fear, but she knew that she should probably help him a LITTLE. "If you don't behave, it shocks yo-" a little yelp escaped Gaz as her skull lit up, sending a tiny, painful electric shock through her system. Apparently explaining things to Dib was considered "misbehaving"  
  
Nodding to show that he understood, Dib considered his options. Apparently he had the ability to burn things, even if it hurt him to use it. Gaz's abilities were caused by feelings of irritance and/or anger. What was the trigger for his "power" ? Dib mentally ran through all the times that he had had "attacks". When he had been grabbed by Zim's house, when he realized that he would have to go to Zim for help, and twice after he had made that awful agreement with Zim.  
  
Zim. That was the key! Whenever he was thinking about or near Zim, he had one of his little fits! But how could he know for sure? Dib focused on his hand and said, "Gaz, tell me I'm going to loose against Zim."  
  
"...what?"  
  
"Just do it!"  
  
Gaz shrugged. He has asked for it. "Listen, Dib. Zim is smarter, older, and better than you. He's been highly trained to conquer planets, and you're nothing but a kid. He's got technologies that you've never even DREAMED of..." As Gaz continued to speak, Dib forced himself to let the words hit home, focusing all of his energy on his hand. Success! He felt the now- familiar pain surging through him. It hurt worse than anything he had experienced before. Then it happened. The pain shot out through his hand and formed a little ball of energy over it. It glowed a brilliantly bright shade of red, and it didn't hurt anymore. He could sense the warmth of the little sphere of red light. Just then, the smoke detector went off, blaring a warning that there was fire in the house.  
  
Professor Membrane dashed in, wondering how the hell the kids could have managed to set off the detector. Probably just one of Dib's shenanigans. He looked at his kids, then stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the little ball of light floating over his son's hand. He only caught a glimpse of it, because Dib had turned it off as soon as he had run in, but he had SEEN it, if only for a second. It had finally happened! The specimen was finally reacting to the formula X! He HAD to get it to the lab for testing! This could be a MAJOR breakthrough. "Kids, get in the car. You've got a doctor's appointment."  
  
Minutes later, they were on their way. Dib was half-mad with fear, his mind racing frantically. This wasn't a doctors appointment! They were driving the wrong direction! Why was his dad going so fast!?! Dib knew he had to calm down. He had to THINK! His life, and maybe Gaz's, depended on it.  
  
That's when he remembered the tracker/communicator that Zim gave him. He was supposed to hit it if he was in trouble, and it would track his movements so that Zim could find and help him. Seriously doubting that the alien would keep his word, Dib hit the button on it, then slid it back into his pocket.  
  
Back in the lab under the base, Zim was testing the laser weasels. They would be ripe soon. Gir ran up to him or, to be more precise, ran IN to him, knocking him over.  
  
"GIR!" Zim yelled, pushing the miserable little bucket of bolds off him. "What is it!?"  
  
"Master! The Dib human sent for help! It's making my guidance chip all beepy!"  
  
"I'd better go help him," Zim sighed. "Where is he now?"  
  
Gir focused his guidance chip. Locating the Dib was hard. He'd never had to locate a moving target before. Finally, Gir managed to come up with a location and pointed. "He's... thataway! At a big lab-looking building!"  
  
Zim and Gir were at the Membrane Institute of Higher Science within the hour. Using Gir's guidance system as both a compass and a map, they traveled through the heating system. Gir got them lost about five times, but eventually they were looking into the room where the scientists were keeping the sad little earth monkey. Zim looked over the edge just in time to see the professor put a mask over the Dib's face.  
  
Professor Membrane never knew what hit him. 


	6. The Slaughter

SilverRogue: Okay, the final chapter is up...... and only about 6 months late! Guys, I am SO sorry it took so long. I was grounded all summer, and I'm just starting highskool this year and they messed up my schedule and I've already had to go through my first set of exams and my dog died of cancer and I forgot my password to FF.net and-  
  
Nightshade: Geez! They get it! Shut up already! For the record, SR's mom threw out the notebook that this fic was originally written in, so we've just had to kinda remember as we go. Without further ado, THE FINAL CHAPTER!  
  
*********  
  
The Professor was hit from three different directions. Gaz, who was restrained a holding-chamber of sorts, had managed to call down lightning at the same time Zim fired his lazer, and a bright fiery beam flashed out from both Dib's hands.  
  
With all three sources of energy still coarsing through him, the professor fell foreword, and his hand happened to hit the metal operating table. Gaz tried her hardest to stop the electrical flow, but she couldn't seem to regain control of her power.  
  
Zim, however, had turned his attention to the other scientists, who were fleeing for their lives. He chanced off several shots, managing to take down two of them before they made it to the door.  
  
Narrowing her eyes, Gaz forced the lightning to subside. Feeling slightly weak from strain, she sat down in the holding cell and shut her eyes. A dull THUMP was heard as Professor Membrane's lifeless body hit the floor. Other than that it was quiet other than her heavy breathing. So quiet....  
  
Zim clambered down out of the ventilation system. GIR jumped down and landed on him. With an irritated sigh, he said, "GIR! Go free the Gaz human."  
  
"YES SIR!" GIR said with a salute, then skipped off.  
  
Zim turned his attention to the Dib human, who was laying quite still. Frowning a little, Zim took his pulse, dully noting that one of his fingers was gone, like it'd been blown off somehow. It was all very strange. No pulse. The Earth Monkey was dead.  
  
A few minutes later, once she had calmed down after hearing of her siblings demise, Gaz explained that the electrical current had gone through Dib when the Professor had hit the table while the current was still live.  
  
*******  
  
SilverRogue: Okay, I'm sorry, so please don't flame me for how completely lame that was. My stories are only good when typed raw from the notebook, and this particular one has had six months to decay somewhere in the back of my mind. Again, my apologies. I swear in the name of everything green and squeaky that the next story WILL be better. Oh, such betterness it shall have! It will be..... DELICIOUS! 


End file.
